New book on Russia and West narrates thousand year of conflict & contestation

A new book Russia- “The Thousand Years War – Russia and the West”, by Pushkin Prize awardee Achala Moulik, a former Education Secretary of India, traces the history of past conflicts between Russia and the West.

In a swift moving and fascinating narrative, she has analysed and encapsulated the wars and conflicts that have taken place between Russia and Europe and then USA. The present Russian-Ukrainian conflict she states is a continuation of the old game.

In the commencement “Preludes” the author takes the reader on a breathless journey across a millennium. The book was released ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s State Visit to India.


The author narrates various wars between Russia and rest of Europe and later the Cold War period through the past 1000 years. When the crises were over they reverted to hostility. The Roman Church versus the Greek Orthodox Church; apprehensions about Russian expansion; ideological antagonism between capitalism and communism.

Later came another factor – Russia’s immense natural resources which its neighbours wished to garner, claimed the author. About 28 % of the world’s natural and mineral resources are in Russia. The proxy wars continue even today. Only the dramatis personae are different, according to the author.

The Tsars believed in Russia’s imperial destiny which brought them into conflict with other imperial powers –Britain, France, Ottoman Turkiye and Austria-Germany. The Cold War was a battle not for territories but for power through influence.

The author also narrates the origins of the present Russian-Ukraine conflict. Russia has a tumultuous history, punctuated by wars, power struggles, and transformational events, according to the author.

There is density of the population on the Russia’s western frontier which increases its vulnerability, according to the author. The vast expanse of land to the east discourages attacks.

The irony is that Ukraine has been an integral part of the Kievan, Muscovite and Tsarist and Soviet Russia, for twelve centuries from mid-9th to early 20th century, the author narrates.

Ukraine and Russia have far greater affinities than England and Scotland who were different kingdoms for a thousand years and often at war against each other until the Act of Union welded them under a Scottish Stuart king. In order to understand Russia’s current strength, stance and strategy, it is necessary to understand developments since 1990. Only then will it become clear why President Putin is doing what he is doing, the author claims.